WHEN IT IS TIME TO LEAVE … The intimate relationship had begun to slip away, indifference was evolving into contempt, arguments became frequent, tempers flared, insults and threats were shouted – the flash point! Counselors caution that a flash point is a very serious warning.  The risk of seriou...

Family disputes are traumatic. Conflicts among family members involve a tangled web of emotional and legal issues that can be overwhelming.  No one is immune to the pain that hammers away at a person's psychological balance during a divorce; however, some people seem to cope much better than othe...

Emotional turmoil is always part of a divorce. The only unpredictable aspects are related to how pervasive will it be and how long will it last. Maintaining control over your personal psychological balance is essential. Self-talk is a technique counselors recommend to help deal with the trauma of...

Once the folks around you learn that you are considering a divorce, you may find yourself inundated with “helpful advice”.  The advice will probably range from “just walk away from it” to “don't give the sorry SOB anything” and everything in between. WARNING: All of the advice is wrong.  That sou...

Involvement in a divorce usually delivers a huge psychological and emotional jolt to the parties.  The agony and mental turmoil caused by the loss of an intimate relationship can be overwhelming, even paralyzing. Question & Answer As the trauma nears the crescendo level, the question arises: “Can...

Enduring the rigors of the pandemic has been a challenge – a greater challenge than some folks could handle.  The anxiety and uncertainty visited upon us by Covid “got to” numerous people who were otherwise high functioning, optimistic, capable personalities.  As we moved from one Covid chapter t...

The short answer is – they are different approaches to resolving disputes without having a trial. The “Google” Process When they need information, many people immediately turn to Google.  A Google search of the word “mediation” will pull up hundreds of websites and the same is true for “arbitrati...

When a marriage relationship begins to crumble, emotional turmoil builds and an overriding gloom pushes positive thoughts aside.  Frustration and anger can become overpowering forces.  In most cases, consulting an experienced attorney and/or counselor is the route to take.  However, in extreme ca...

Emotional turmoil is always part of a divorce. Parties suffer from the friction and overriding gloom of a marriage that has run off the tracks. Sometimes the frustration and anger of the situation result in an overwhelming need for “pay-back” – the need to inflict some type of injury on the other...

Formal Marriage vs. Informal Marriage In Texas there are two kinds of marriages: 1) the formal marriage that typically involves a ceremony and a stack of paperwork, and 2) the informal marriage that does not involve the same level of formality or documentation.  Evidence of a formal marriage is e...

People think of a divorce as an event – the end of the marriage, division of assets, orders to pay alimony, allocation of debts, etc. In fact, a divorce is a process. From beginning to end, the typical divorce case will be pending for several months &, in extreme situations, the case may remain o...

In many jurisdictions, the courts will not set a case for trial unless the parties have participated in mediation, and the settlement efforts have been unsuccessful. The reason for the requirement is simple. The odds are very good that negotiations conducted by a skilled mediator will produce a s...

It is a fact that the internet is a scary place. Some of the online inhabitants are nasty creatures – predators, peddlers of pornography and other varieties of bad actors. On the other hand, the internet is also a marvelous, mind-expanding environment offering entertainment, education, and useful...

Here are some facts about mediation. Before calling a lawyer about a divorce, most people have tried to negotiate with their spouse.  Sometimes that works, and sometimes it is a miserable failure. If the discussions break down, the intensity of the conflict escalates. When the divorce is filed, t...

“What about the house?” That question is always near the top of a client's list of worries. In general terms, the alternatives for dealing with the marital residence (“House”) in a divorce case are: Sell it and split the proceeds, Award it to one of the parties, Continue joint ownership. ...

Here are some basic facts about mediation. Every marital relationship is unique; therefore, every divorce case involves unique issues. Every parent-child relationship is unique; therefore, the issues are different in every custody case. The Texas Family Code includes standard schedules for child ...

When one person files for divorce, they submit tentative instructions for property division, child custody, spousal maintenance (alimony) and child support. The other spouse must then review and respond to those suggestions. When one spouse agrees with the terms their ex suggests, they can sign t...

In this blog, we will explore two common questions about “special needs kids” and divorce. When you hear the term “special needs kids,” you may ask yourself, “What does that really mean?” The answer to this is that, in general, all children are “special,” and they all have some sort of “special n...

A child with special needs can benefit from the support of both parents. Your child has the ability to understand what's happening around them, even though they need more support than other kids may. As a result, it can be impactful talk to them about your divorce and get them prepared for the ch...

When a loved one passes away, they may have left you an inheritance. Most likely it's one that's financial and could consist of a substantial amount of money. If you were married when you received this, you may wonder what could happen to it in a divorce. Does your spouse get half of your inherit...

Journalists have searched for meaningful words to describe how people have dealt with the life changing events caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the words that has surfaced is “pivot” – a term generally associated with basketball. In basketball, a player must keep the pivot foot on the floo...

Perhaps the most common arrangement when dividing a marital home after divorce is for the couple to simply sell the house and split the money they earn from selling it. This is fast and easy, and provides cash to the parties to start over – perhaps in another home for themselves. In other situati...

Divorce with children is always more complicated, and a child with special needs only increases the level of complexity. Your unique family situation can strongly influence the outcome of your divorce. In Texas, the Courts generally follow the Texas Family Code's guidelines for establishing child...

There are certain times when it makes sense to modify your custody schedule. Even if you have a schedule that has been well-established over time, you should keep in mind that this schedule might need to change as your children grow and change. You might also need to adjust the schedule to reflec...

The Division of assets that takes place in a divorce can definitely make you feel less financially stable. A change to your financial status may mean that you go from being a homeowner to a renter. Because the parties will be paying expenses for two households on the same income that they previou...